226 SHEEP AND WOOL IN THE UNITED STATES. 
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the Pacific coast and Texas, contributed only 22 per cent. to 
the Department estimates of 1871; now this western range 
section has about 65 percent. of the total, or more than 
27,000,000 sheep. Then Texas was beginning to make 
progress in sheep husbandry, which was so rapid that in 1884 
the number there was nearly 8,000,000, the highest ever 
recorded in any State. In 1900 there were only 2,417,000. 
These facts indicate the relative decline of sheep husbandry 
in the farming States. The free pasturage of the great range 
country handicapped the industry on farm lands, especially 
the wool growing branch. Just as wheat-growing gradually | 
receded westward, and cattle-raising declined, first east- of 
the Alleghanies, and afterwards appreciably in the Ohio 
Valley, so wool-growing almost disappeared from the farms, 
while mutton-production lingered in the blue-grass section 
and other regions of fat pasturage, and the raising of early 
lambs retainel a footing among farmers skilled in this 
branch of meat-making. A few of the skilled and experi- 
enced breeders of Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and 
Ohio continued the development of pure-ored merinos for 
the improvement of the flocks of the range country and 
of South America and Australia. With increasing 
demand for mutton, the flocks of the farming States were 
gradually modified by a larger infusion of the blood of the 
English breeds. Thus the balance of distribution was 
disturbed, notwithstanding some advantages in high 
breeding and nearness to mutton markets. 
The central west was long a stronghold of wool-growing. 
It gave way to powerful far-western competition slowly, 
holding its position tenaciously, and yielding only as other 
industries and interests demanded recognition and com- 
manded better profit. The statement on the next page 
compares the present distribution with that in 1871 in this 
district. 
In 1871 this district had 52°6 per cent. of the total; it has 
now only 20°2 per cent.; and the numbers had been higher 
prior to 1871, Ohio having 7,000,000 a few years earlier. 
The increased value is only in part due to the increase in the 
country generally as between 1871 and 1900; the average 
